


Kings and Queens and Trees

by Morpheus626



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-16 01:32:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1326811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morpheus626/pseuds/Morpheus626
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The King and Queen of Mirkwood don't often have time to themselves--but when they do those days are cherished. This is a story of one of those days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kings and Queens and Trees

**Author's Note:**

> I finally got around to starting my series of stories in which we have a living Queen of Mirkwood! I hope to write more after this one, though I can't say at what pace I will be putting them out. 
> 
> As always; Tolkien owns his characters, Jackson and Co. have claim to their interpretations of Tolkien's characters, and I am borrowing both versions for a bit of fun :) The Queen, on the other hand, is made up of my own headcanons and ideas. 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this! If you want to come talk elves and all other things Tolkien you can comment here, or reach me at my tumblr: www.itsalwaysprettiestafterthefall.tumblr.com

“Please don’t.” Lessil called from where she sat on the ground. Her dark hair was done in a braid, once immaculate but now falling apart from running through the forest. Her tunic and leggings were scuffed with dirt, and her boots were in an even worse state. Compared to her husband, Thranduil, she looked a picture of cleanliness. 

Thranduil stood above her, balanced carefully on a tree branch. His long blonde hair was tied behind him with a length of leather that seemed on the verge of falling away with every movement. His tunic and trousers were in a worse state; torn and covered in spots of dirt and mud so much so that it seemed he’d been rolling across the forest floor, rather than walking across it. His eyes were trained on the next nearest tree, whose branches seemed just close enough to jump to from where he was. 

“You won’t make it and then you’ll have hurt yourself, and then I’ll have to drag you back to the palace. We can’t have that, can we?” Lessil looked straight up and watched as Thranduil crept further towards the end of the branch, ignoring her words entirely. She sighed, then stood and started towards the tree next to his; climbing until she had reached the branch he intended to jump to. 

Thranduil noticed her then. “What are you doing? I can’t jump over if you’re already there. Wouldn’t be safe then.” 

Lessil could have killed him with look alone. “Not safe? What about anything you are doing right now is safe?” 

He seemed a bit miffed at that. “I have everything under control, and I will make it over there, as soon as you get down.” 

“I’m not getting down until you do.” Lessil crept closer to the end of her branch, trying to appear determined. She would let him have his way if he whined enough, but only so that he would fall (as she expected) and would learn from the mistake. Or at least, she hoped he would. Then again, she wasn’t entirely certain he was learning from his mistakes, or those he had witnessed. His father’s deadliest mistake seemed to be the only one sticking with him, and not in the best way. He seemed to obsess over it, over the fear of dying in battle and leaving their kingdom to flounder and fail, no matter how often she reminded him that he wasn’t Oropher, and wouldn’t make his father’s mistakes. 

It was days like these, out in the forest on their own that he let himself relax and put those thoughts away for a time. Much to Lessil’s disappointment, that also meant a return to more reckless behavior—like the idea that he could somehow make a jump that high up, even if it wasn’t that terribly big of a jump. But at least he wasn’t as stressed as usual. 

“Lessil, please move. I can do it, trust me.” Thranduil was starting to look bored, which meant he would start whining in full force now. She was patient though; she could wait. Then again, so could he, and Lessil wouldn’t put it past her husband to stay the night in the trees, in the hopes that he would get his way by the morning. 

“Honestly, how old are you? You get down, and then I will. Then we can go back to the palace, uninjured and happy. Or in your case, uninjured and unhappy.” Lessil grinned and sat, relaxing against the trunk of the tree. Let him sit and sulk if he wished to; as she had decided she would wait as long as was necessary for him to climb down first. Eventually someone would come looking for them, and then he would have no choice but to admit that the jump was too dangerous, and he would get down. 

Thranduil crept back to the trunk of the tree and leaned against it. “This is your plan then? We wait here until the world ends—“ 

“You aren’t that patient dear, don’t be ridiculous.” Lessil interrupted. 

“…as I was saying, we wait here until one of us gives in, or until Galion is sent out to find us.” He sighed. “You know the guard will have someone out for us within the hour. Just let me try, what’s the worst that could happen?” 

“You could fall and break something and I would have to drag you back home. Worse than that is that I would then have to spend the next few weeks listening to you whine about being hurt. I know I signed up for some difficult things as a queen, but I think that’s a bit too much, don’t you?” Lessil smirked as Thranduil rolled his eyes at her. “You know I’m right, just admit it. Best thing a king can do is listen to his queen.” 

“I could do that. I could also make a suggestion.” Thranduil started forward again on his branch, getting as close to the end as he could before it started to bend. 

Lessil sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “And what, pray tell, is your wonderful suggestion?” 

“You jump too.” His grin was one of utter happiness and joy. 

“I jump as well, at the same time? We’ll run into one another and both fall. Not going to happen. Try something else dear.” If she hadn’t been tired before, she certainly was now. It wasn’t that she disliked the idea of climbing and jumping amongst the trees, just that she wanted it done with a modicum of sense and safety. 

Footsteps crunched down below their trees, and Galion appeared, clearly tired and irritated. “What are you two doing? I’ve been looking for you both for nearly an hour now!” 

Their eyes met in a panic. Had it really been that long since they’d left for their walk? It certainly hadn’t seemed like it, but if Galion was this upset… 

“We are so sorry Galion. We’ll both be down in a moment, won’t we Thranduil dear?” Lessil called down. 

“Just one moment, Galion. There’s one last thing we have to do before we go back.” Thranduil looked to her, and in that moment Lessil realized she had a choice to make. She could let her husband jump and fall on his own, or she could fall with him, and probably see both of them hurt. Then again, she would rather hurt with him than hurt alone. 

It was nearly artistic, how they each ran and leapt off of their respective branches and then promptly smacked into one another and fell to the forest floor. Galion wasn’t particularly impressed, but then again it wasn’t his job to be impressed with the ruling family, just to keep them from ending up dead or making other bad choices. 

"Well then. I’ll let you two recover a bit, and then see you back at the palace. Anything broken?” Galion said. 

“Ow.” Thranduil groaned and tried to pull himself up, but flopped back to the ground in a heap. 

“We’re okay…probably. We’ll see you in a while. Thank you, Galion.” Lessil murmured. 

Galion smiled. “You are most welcome, my queen. If neither of you are back within an hour, then I will return to retrieve you.” With that, he walked away, snickering as quietly as he could manage. 

The king and queen lay among the foliage and dirt silently for a good twenty minutes, one contemplating why he thought that jump had been a good idea, and the other contemplating why she had thought following her husband in his jump would be a safe or good idea. 

“I hope you know how much I love you, you absolute idiot.” Lessil said, as she pulled herself up from the ground slowly. 

“I’m very lucky.” Thranduil whimpered as she reached for his hand and helped him up. “And I love you too.” 

“Just as you should. Let’s go back, before Galion comes looking for us again.” Lessil wrapped an arm around his waist as they started to walk back to the palace. After a few feet, she noticed he was limping. 

“You twisted an ankle, didn’t you?” She stifled a giggle. 

“Maybe.” Thranduil suddenly found the forest floor incredibly interesting, and Lessil found his embarrassment to be absolutely adorable. 

“Never mind it dear. It doesn’t matter. Besides, that was a bit fun, though I am loathe to admit it.” Lessil let him lean against her more, to take the pressure off of his ankle. She would see to it that Galion let them spend the next day alone, so they could rest away from the eyes of the rest of the palace. Thranduil would keep his pride, and she would have another day with him away from the worries of their ever-changing and growing kingdom. She could not ask for much more.


End file.
